Pipe holder



p il- 30. w. 1.. CHURCH 1,755,572

PIPE HOLDER Filed July 5, 1927 2- Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

April 22, 1930. w. 1.. CHURCH 1,755,572

" PIPE HOLDER Filed July 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l3 l2 l5 Patented Apr.22, 1930 U'NiTso smiles rarsmrorncs HousromITEXAs, ssienon OF ONE-HALF'ro WILLIAM L. Y I Pu man, onHoUs'roN, TEXAS PIPE nornna Applicationfiled July 5, 1927;. Serial No. 203,341.

This-invention relates to-new and useful improvements in a pipe holder.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed specially adapted to engage and hold a pipe suspended in awell bore.

' Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe holder of thecharacter described whieh is specially, designed to be mounted onarotary table, of arotary drilling machine, or other support and whichis adapted to en- I gage with and support a pipe suspended in a wellbore, and which may be released, while sustaining the load of the pipe,so that it will disengage the pipe so held.

further feature of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed adaptecl'to rest on suitable support, and to be engaged arounda pipe to besuspended in in a well bore, and which embodies means forquickly and easily releasing the holder,

while sustaining the load of the .pipe, to permit itsdisengageme'nt fromsaid-pipe.

Withthe above and other objects in view this invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation andarrangement of parts,- ai -example of which is given in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: I

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the holder. Figure 2 shows a sideelevation thereof, partly in section. V

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary side elevation of a securing bolt employed.

Figure 4 shows a sectional view of the holder taken on the line 44 ofFigure 1. Figures 5 and 6, respectively show front and side elevationsof a modified form of releasable securing meansemployed, and

. Figure 7 shows a plan view of another from of such securing means.

Referringnow more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals ofreference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numerals 1and 2 designate the confronting arcuate sections of the spider, saidsections being hinged together, at one side,-by the hinge pin 3, and atthe. other sides being formed with the outwardly turned facing jaws 4,5v which fit-together when the holder is engaged around the pipe to beheld.

The bottom of the spider is formed with a relatively wide annular base6, whose bottom is smooth and thus. adapted'to rest on a rotary table orother suitable support.

The'spider is formed with a downwardly converging seat 7 adapted toreceive the pipe engaging slips as 8. p In the drawings four of theseslips are shown but a greater or less number may be employed. The slipsare arcuate in horizontal cross sectional view and are downwardlytapered, or wedge shaped and their outer surfaces are formed to conformto the contour of the seat 7. Their inner surfaces are preferably formedwithpipe engaging teeth, as 9. Their outer sides have vertical tenons10, preferably. dovetailed in cross'section, which fit intocorrespondingly shaped mortises 11, in which they are verticallymovable. The upper end of each slip 8 has an outwardly extending flange12 which overlies the spider and has a bearing 13 and pins as 14 havetheir lower ends anchored to the top of the spider and work through saidbearings and coil springs 15 surround the respective rods and. areinterposed between the upper end of the spider and the respectiveflanges 12.

Releasable means are provided for holding the spider secured around thepipe to be held. A preferred form of such means is shown in Figures 1, 2and 3. This form of holding means comprises a bolt 16 which is fitted 85through the jawA: and one end of which is formed with 'aretaining head17. This bolt is fastened in the j aw 4 by means of a pin 18 -As shownin Figures 5 and 6 there is a U shaped latch 25, the free end of whoseside arms embrace and are pivoted to the jaw l and the cross bar of saidlatch25 has a set bolt 26 threaded therethrough. When in securingposition this latch may be swung around so as to embrace, also, the aw 5and the set bolt 6 then screwed against said jaw 5 to holdthe sectionsof the spider in pipe holding position. This bolt may be unscrewed torelease said spider sections and the latch 25 then swung around clear ofthe jaw- 5 and the spider then swungopen. f

In the form shown in Figure 7 a releasable securing means is providedcomprising the upper and lower links as 27 which are pivoted,

at one end, to one ofsaid jaws and pivoted between the other ends ofsaid links there is a toggle lever 28, whose outer end is formed with ahand grip and whose inner end is adapted to engage the other jaw to holdthe sections of the spider around the pipe to be held. When it isdesired to release the spider to permit it to open the outer end of thetoggle lever 28 may. be swung outwardly and the links 27 swung clear ofthe opposite j aw.

In use the pipe holder may be mounted-on a rotary table or other supportand applied to the pipe to be held and secured around said pipe, amanner 'hereinabove indicated. As the pipe is lowered it willfrictionally engage the slips 8 and said slips will be carrieddownwardly and inwardly and will wedge between the pipe and the spiderseat 7 and will securely grip and hold the pipe. When it is desired torelease the pipe the nut 22 may be given a partial turn and this willrelease it from the bolt 16 and the spider may then open to release thejaws 8 to the influence of the springs 15 and said jaws will be therebyelevated and moved outwardly from the pipe.

In case the securing devices, as shown in Figures 5 and .6 orin Figure 7are employed the spider sections may be released as hereinbet'oreindicated. e

The spider sections may be readily released while the full weight of thepipe is being sustained by the holder.

The spider has the oppositely disposed bails 29, 29, which formconvenient engaging means for hooks or other instrumentalities in movingthe holder about the derrick.

While I have shown whatI now consider preferred forms of the device itis of course obvious that various mechanical modifica-' stantially widerthan any other portion of the spider so that the same may be seated on arotary table and having a downwardly converging seat, separate wedgeshaped slips in said seat, yieldable means supporting the respectiveslips on the spider, and releasable securing means associated with thejaws and adapted to secure the sections of the spider about the pipe, tobe held said securing means comprising a link pivoted to one jaw and atoggle leverpivoted to said link, ,oneend of which is adapted to engagethe outer side of the-other jaw and whose other end is formed with ahand grip. V 3 l 2. A pipe holder including a spider formed of sectionshinged together, at one side, and having outwardly turned jaws at theother side, said spider having a base portion adapted to rest on arotary table and wider than the spider above and having a downwardlyconverging seam-independent arouate, wedge shaped slips in said seatadapted to surround the pipe .to be held and to sustain the weightthereof, said seat and slips being formed, one with grooves and theother with tenons adapted to fit into said grooves, yieldable meanssupporting the slips on the spider and releasable securing meansassociated with the jaws and adapted to secure said spider sectionsabout the pipe to be held said releasable means comprising a pair oflinks pivoted at one end to one of said jaws and a toggle lever pivotedbetween the links and adapted to releasably engagethe outer side of theother jaw.

I 3. A pipe holder including a spider formed of sections hinged togetherat one side, said sections having outwardly turned confronting jaws atthe other side, said spider having a toone jaw and a toggle leverpivoted to said link and engageable with the other jaw, said securingmeans being adapted to be released, while the weight of the pipe issustained by the holder, to permit the release of said slips from thepipe, each slip and the seat being provided, one with a substantiallyvertical groove and the other with a rib adapted to fit into saidgroove.

4. In a pipe holder a spider formed of sections hinged together at oneside and having outwardly turned jaws at the other side and having abase portion wider than any other portion of the spider sothat the samemay be seated on a rotary table and said spider having a downwardlyconverging inside seat, a link connected to one jaw and a toggle leverpivoted to said link and engageable with the other 7 jaw.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER L. CHURCH.

